Workout of the week: 20-min lower body dumbbell workout

4th April 2022

HANNAH BRAUN

Personal trainer from Vienna

Hannah is a health, fitness and personal trainer. With her creative workouts and individually adapted training plans, she ensures that her clients’ goals are efficiently achieved. At the same time, her top priority is to bring the fun and enjoyment of exercise and sport closer to her clients and to guide and support them on their way to become the best version of themselves.

Follow her on Instagram: @hannahxbraun

LOWER BODY DUMBBELL WORKOUT

ALL LEVELS / lower body dumbbell workout / 20 minutes

Equipment: Dumbbells & gym bench

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need gym machines to have an effective lower body workout. However, when most people think about the infamous leg day, they picture gym machines such as the leg press or the leg extension. We’re here to tell you that this isn’t true — after all, we’re advocates of a functional approach to fitness.

This 20-minute lower body dumbbell workout shows you that one pair of dumbbells and a stable chair or a bench is all you need to work on your legs and strengthen your lower body. It was created by our personal trainer Hannah Braun. You can find her at EVO Fitness in Vienna, Mariahilfer Strasse.

The workout consists of 6 exercises. Perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps each of the first 5 exercises. Complete each set before moving on to the next exercise. End the workout with 60 reps of jumping squats. Try to keep the resting periods as short as possible. You should aim to complete this workout in 20 minutes.

Dumbbell step-ups
Dumbbell stiff deadlift
Dumbbell goblet squat
Bulgarian split squats
Goblet squat variation
Squat jumps

Ready? Let’s do this!

WORKOUT SETUP

First 5 exercises – 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Last exercise – 60 reps
Little to no rest between exercises
20 minutes
Equipment: Dummbells & gym bench

WORKING OUT FROM HOME? NO PROBLEM.

If you don’t have the equipment originally needed for this workout, you can substitute it with these everyday items or use these alternative exercises.

Alternative equipment

Dumbbells = water bottles filled with water and / or sand
Gym bench = stable chair

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

1 – DUMBBELL STEP-UPS

12 reps each leg, 3 sets

With a bench in front of you, grab and hold a pair of dumbbells.
Step up to the bench with the left foot — press through the heel to straighten the leg.
Bring your body to a standing position without fully laying your right foot on the bench.
Bend your left knee and bring down only the opposite foot.
Immediately bring it back up, using only the force of your left leg.
Repeat for 12 reps on each leg.
You can make the exercise harder by letting your right foot out of the bench or a bit easier by using the bench for balance.

2 – DUMBBELL STIFF DEADLIFT

12 reps, 3 sets

Begin in standing, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Engage the core and begin the movement by bending the knees slightly and hinging the hips.
Then lower the dumbbells, pushing the hips back until you feel the stretch in your hamstrings and glutes.
At the bottom of the movement, actively engage the glutes, push the feet into the floor and drive the hips upwards and forwards to return to the start position.
Compared to the regular deadlift, the stiff leg approach lets you put more stress on your legs and lower back.
Keep the movements slow and controlled.
Repeat.

3 – DUMBBELL GOBLET SQUAT

12 reps, 3 sets

Stand tall and hold a dumbbell vertically, putting your hands below the top of the weight.
Place the dumbbell against your chest and keep it there throughout the whole movement.
Squat, keeping your core tight and back upright.
Get back up, placing the strength on your feet during the movement.
Repeat.

4 – BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUATS

12 reps, 3 sets

Find yourself a step, bench or any other contraption that you can rest a foot on. It needs to be about knee height.
Get into a forward lunge position with torso upright, core braced and hips square to your body, with your back foot elevated on the bench. Your leading leg should be half a meter or so in front of the bench.
Lower until your front thigh is almost horizontal, keeping your knee in line with your foot. Don’t let your front knee pass beyond your toes.
Drive up through your front foot back to the starting position, again keeping your movements controlled.
Repeat 10 times then swap to the other leg.

5 – GOBLET SQUAT VARIATION

12 reps, 3 sets

Just like the regular goblet squat, stand tall and hold a dumbbell vertically, putting your hands below the top of the weight.
Place the dumbbell against your chest and keep it there throughout the whole movement.
The difference is that you will open your legs wider, keeping your core tight and back upright, and descend into a wider squat position.
Then you’ll move laterally, as if you were performin a side lunge, first to the right and then to the left.
Keep you legs bent throughout the whole move.

6 – SQUAT JUMPS

60 reps

Find some space and stand with feet hip-width apart. Engage the core and set the shoulders slightly, ready for movement.
Quickly bend the knees and hips to a full squat position as you move the arms backwards. Keep the knees over the toes throughout this part.
As soon as you hit the lowest spot, rapidly extend the hips and drive the arms up to straighten the body and perform a small jump.
Keep the core tight and remain balanced as you land, allowing the knees and hips to bend slightly to absorb the force.
Reset the body and repeat for reps or time.